2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A recent trend in graduate admissions has been to eliminate the requirement to submit GRE scores (called “test optional”), or even to prohibit their use in admissions decisions. This paper summarizes the arguments for and against the use of standardized tests in general, and the GRE in particular. The GRE provides a comparison that is at least facially objective, though scores may be influenced by factors such as test anxiety. GRE scores seem to predict outcomes like GPA and degree completion, but different surveys and statistical methods lead to different conclusions. The GRE may enable programs to better target their admission offers to students who can succeed, but it may also discourage minority applications.